McAnulty’s Mission

The College prepares students for productive and creative lives of service in a rapidly changing world. We teach students to think, write and speak clearly and critically, so they can seek truth about God, themselves, and society, and contribute to their families, communities, businesses and professions.

During finals week, it would be tough to find a single student who would not describe his or her mood as stressed. Whether it is the final papers, all-nighters in the library, packing to move home for the summer, or the final exams stacked up one after the other, finals week has a way of getting under every student’s skin.
During a week jam-packed with stressful events, avoiding excessive pressure may be hard to do. It’s hard to believe, but there is a reason for stress in our lives. Stress is something that evolved over time to help up cope with difficult situations.
Students get stressed about the amount of work they have during finals week, the fact that it is all crammed into one week, and because of the important of the work on their final grades. What stresses me out the most about finals week is that the studying seems never ending! As soon as I have conquered one final, it seems there are always more looming.
Many universities plan events for students to get their minds off of work during finals week. The University of Wisconsin hosts “Stress Free Zone” which offers snacks, games, and stress free activities for students to participate in. Other colleges, like New York University and St. Leo University in Florida, host midnight breakfasts for students who plan on spending the night awake and studying.The Gumberg Library at Duquesne is hosting a study break for students on Wednesday, April 28, at 3 p.m., sponsored by the Student Government Association. Refreshments will be served in the Popular Reading Area on the 4th floor of the Gumberg Library. This gives students a break from their studies on the Reading Day, a day off before finals for students to have time to study.
Maybe Duquesne should try something new on this year’s Reading Day. Each year before finals, Northwestern University students participate in a longstanding tradition. According to the Associated Press, “They stand outside in the cold the night before exams, wearing jeans and sweats or just PJs. They scrEAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!” This activity is often called the “primal scream,” and gives students a chance to vent their frustrations during a stressful time in school. After sharing the in the tradition, Andrew Walker, a junior and resident adviser at a Northwestern University dorm said, “It hurt my vocal cords a little bit,” while holding his throat and smiling widely. “But I liked it!”
So if the stress of finals has got you down, stop by the Gumberg Library on Wednesday for a well deserved break. Or, take a lesson from students at Northwestern, and just SCREAM!

Here are a few places to set up camp in the next weeks when your trying to cram or write a final paper:

Library– This is the obvious study spot, but it can resemble a war-zone during finals. If you plan to brave the library crowd, find some friends to share a table with, get there early to claim your spot, and please KEEP QUIET!

Study rooms in the dorms– Most of the dorms on campus having study rooms, at least my freshman floor in St. Martin did. These rooms are a good alternative to the library, and have enough plugs, tables and study carols.

Empty classrooms– If a class isn’t using it, take advantage of the desks and the quiet!

Union Ballroom on April 29 and 30: Tau Kappa Epsilon is opening the 4th Floor Union Ballroom for more study area on April 29th and 30th. The Ballroom is open from 6 PM until 2AM, and coffee and cookies will be provided, thanks to Aramark.

Your room/apartment/house– If you have enough willpower to avoid napping in your bed, wasting time on Facebook, or just plopping on the couch and watching tv, your own room/apartment/house is a good, private place to study. Just make the extra effort to stay focused.

Off campus Panera or Starbucks– When trying to manage the stress of school and finals, sometimes getting off campus is a welcome break. Find a local coffee shop and use the WiFi and tables to get some studying done. Sometimes a change of venue is all you need to get refocused!

There are about 4 weeks left of school and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I will miss about Duq. Here are my top 10.

10. Starbucks. Ok, I know there are about a million other Starbucks in the world, but Duquesne’s Starbucks is just so convenient and perfect for keeping me awake during night classes! Even when the line is literally out the door, you can always have your drink and be at your next class in a speedy 10 minutes.

9. The computers in the library. I’ll miss them so much I’m thinking about changing my laptop’s homepage to the Gumberg website. But seriously they are super convenient for checking the weather or e-mail quickly between classes.

8. The views. Whether it’s the city-view apartments in Brottier or the cityscape out the skywalk windows, the views from campus are priceless.

7. The constant bake sales in the Union. Buying a cookie that I really don’t need is easily justified when the money is going to Haiti or some sorority service project.

6. The eco-toilets in the Union. They make me feel like I’m being “green.”

5. Walking on campus. Seriously, where else in the world can you just walking right in front of cars?

4. The Power Center gym. It’s convenient, clean and free! (or should I say included in our tuition.) From now on, I’ll have to buy a gym membership and hope it’s as nice as the Power Center. Plus, it’s the only gym with such a nice view of Forbes Garage 😉

3. This blog. It’s given me a space to write my thoughts, feelings, rants and advice. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it for the past two years!

2. The brownies with icing at Offramp. If you haven’t had one, go buy one right now.

1. The people. That includes my friends, professors, people I’ve worked in groups with and the nice people who check you out at Options. When I forget my Stats (I think I already have) and no longer recall my Multipass password off by heart, these are the people who I will remember!

It’s officially the last weekend of 2009 to be spent at Duquesne! My last week as a first semester freshman…

I have mixed feelings but mostly it’s just kind of surreal. I’m so happy that this is the place where I had my first college experiences. With everything from D’U Ride? Orientation, to learning community projects and friendships, to finals week; I definitely feel a part of the true “college experience” and consider myself a real college student.

Finals week was quite an experience. I thought the stories about spending hours upon end in the library and drinking twelve cups of coffee were all exaggerated, but it turns out they’re all true…mostly. Finals were, in fact, super challenging and required a lot of my time, but after handing in the many papers and finishing my exams, I think the effort was well worth it. Once I finally beat the struggle to find a table at Gumberg, I was able to go into the tests feeling confident and came out the same way. Even after spending an approximate 20 hours in the library over the past few days, I’m happy I stayed focused and worked through it. Hopefully when grades are posted , I will still feel the same way.

While of course I’m excited to get a break from all the work, I have to admit I’m a little sad to leave my college “family”. We will all go our separate ways for almost a month, but when we get back we will be starting all new classes and getting right back into the crazy times. Seeing my family and friends for Christmas will make up for it, too. Of course, I’ll have to continue our family traditions of baking lots of cookies and spending a weekend at Seven Springs Ski Lodge. And even though I suppose I’m becoming an adult, I’m still hoping Santa will leave some presents for me!

So keep your happy holiday thoughts and memories in mind while you’re winding up these last couple days of testing and be proud of yourself—you’ve made it through an entire semester!!

I guess I had some kind of preconceived notion, with the exception of exam preparation, that the library was for losers. Yet, I’ve recently discovered the opportunities the library offers to students. Sure, libraries can be somewhat outdated, because who wants actually look for a book when you could just type the question into your search box. However, spending time in the library actually has a lot of peaks.

I, personally, can focus much better in a quiet environment. The best thing about the library is you don’t feel rude demanding silence. Gumberg Library has designed the bottom three floors as quiet floors, where you can fully dedicate your attention to your studies. Not that I can complain about my roommate; she is often quiet when I try to do work, but working in the library eliminates the lack of consideration.

The library also has Wi-Fi, so after class, I grab my laptop and head over. Obviously, research and note taking are made easier, yet I also find that sometimes I need a Facebook break or I want to listen to a song with my headphones. Because the library is a Wi-Fi hotspot, this is a possibility.

I also find studying at the library refreshing (aside from the revitalizing air conditioning). Because I can truly focus, I find I actually understand what I am reading and cut the amount of time I need in half. Even if you never pick up a book (I haven’t yet!), the library is still a great resource to take advantage of!